Outside influence
by Spohied
Summary: When Mike is injured in season 2, what would happen if his family came to town?


Mike Flynn was waiting in hospital, Kate his XO was due any minute she had offered to drive him home. In fact he had asked and Kate had agreed but he really didn't want to lie to his mother, whom he had told that he was being picked up and therefore didn't need her to come and help get home. He had been trying to keep her from coming to take care of him. Luckily for Mike he had been injured while his mother and father were on their annual holiday and no one had been able to inform them until Mike was awake and called her himself. While he did love his mother she had a tendency to see him as six years old, and he really didn't want to have the when are you going to settle down conversation.

He heard her laugh before he saw her, she was talking with one of the nurses and they were both headed for his bed. The nurse started off the speech on what care his wound required, Mike had heard this before but listened carefully again and at the end she handed Kate the bag filled with dressings and pain pills and announced he was free to leave. Mike jumped up bag in hand and was headed to the door, Kate being more polite was thanking the nurse and laughing at him and his haste to be out of there.

On the way to the car he mentioned his suspicions about Ray Walsman and that he wouldn't be taking the job with him after all. He knew Kate had just been through a rough patrol but she needed to know about his suspicions. On the drive home Mike asked to stop at the supermarket and talk turned to dinner and with a few hints and pleading looks had managed to get Kate to agree to stay and cook, while Mike was a ok cook Kate was much better and he had been hospital food for far too long.

When they pulled into the drive at Mikes place there was already a car there and one that he recognised, Kate having heard him groan was looking his leg and asking if he was ok. "No the legs fine, it's just that's my mothers car, and I'm sorry for whatever she says" he was getting out the car as he spoke.

"Why are you apologising?" Kate was out the car and retrieving the grocery bags she wasn't going to push for more information, she had her own mother issues "and you can go open the door for me I'll get these your still healing"

"You'll see" he opened the front door and paused in the entrance to and call out "mum are you here?"

Kate stepped through the door and went straight to the kitchen, where she left the bags she was carrying and went back out to the car she figured she would just leave once it was all unloaded so Mike could have some family time. Mike was knocking on the door to his spare room when she passed him on her way to the kitchen again. She had turned on the kettle and was unpacking the bags when Mike walked in alone, "she's must be out".

"Well kettles on, I'll just put this in the fridge and I'll be out of your hair" while she was enjoying the sheepish expression that Mike had worn since seeing the car she knew she couldn't push it too far. "So I will see you in a few days back on Hammersley"

"Yes, and we are going to work on a plan to get Walsman"

He walked her to the door and when it was closed behind her he breathed a sigh of relief, and returned to the kitchen. Out in the driveway as Kate was just getting in her car when a short woman with long grey hair and a gorgeous border collie walked around the back of the car and introduced herself "I'm Maggie Flynn, you must be Mikes friend and this here is Missy" she gestured to the dog "I had a look round but can't find anywhere to let her loose, she had had a long drive, is there any chance you know of a bit of bush near here?"

Kate nodded "there is a place not too far, but it's more than a walk, it's great for dogs and there is a river if it gets too hot for Missy"

"I see your in uniform, do you have to go to work...?

"Oh it's Kate, and no I just returned from patrol and didn't think Mike would appreciate waiting at the hospital while I got changed"

"If you don't have any plans would you mind driving me to this place, I'm not good at driving to new places. I only got here using that new sat nav thingamigigi that Mike put in. I would ask him, but I don't think he allowed to drive with that leg yet"

"No I don't mind, when do you want me to take you"

"Now if you don't have any other plans, it's just we have had a long drive and a walk to stretch the muscles is just what we need, if you don't mind we can take my car, that way there won't be any dog hair in yours"

Kate could see no way of politely refusing, so closed her car door and locked it "I don't have any plans" she smiled at the older woman, who had unlocked her own car and loaded the dog into the boot. Then Kate was surprised to see her get into the passenger seat, so she walked to the driver side and got in, Maggie handed her the keys.

As they reached the end of the road Maggie asked "do you live close by? I mean we should stop at your place. I know Mike hates to be in his whites longer than he has too, and it's not a very walk friendly colour"

Kate knew she had lost all control of the situation and just decided to go with it, Maggie seemed friendly enough and the resemblance was obvious now she came to look. "Not too far, it's not out of our way either so if you don't mind I will change. I hate to get them dirty, it just seems disrespectful to the Navy when I do."

"Ohh is that why, I just thought Mike hated to have to get it cleaned" she chuckled to herself, and they rode in an easy silence.

When they reached Kate's house she invited Maggie in, and led them through to the kitchen, she checked the fridge before asking if she would like a herbal tea or black coffee, as she had no milk. Once Maggie had a lemon tea and Missy had a bowl of water Kate left to get changed. Kate carefully hung up her whites, and decided she needed a shower as Maggie clearly wanted to come here she didn't feel bad making her wait a few minutes more.

Maggie was wandering round looking for pictures or anything that would tell her more about this woman. When she heard her son was injured she had wanted to come straight to Cairns and be with her son, but her husband and Mike had managed to talk her out of it.

During his stay she had been talking to the nurses, well she had to know how her son really was, they had got to chatting about when he was first admitted and the nurse assured her he wasn't alone. That there was a woman who visited with him when he was first out of surgery and even stayed all night by his bed before he woke up, and she visited a lot since then. Well after that little piece of information she needed to know more. Mike had never brought anyone home to introduce to her and he was now almost forty if he wanted a family he would have to settle down soon.

When Mike hadn't mentioned a woman, only members of his crew visiting. He had said his friend was going to give him a ride home from the hospital, but the way he spoke something was off, Maggie just assumed it was because he was hiding this relationship from her. She had talked with her husband, but he had agreed to help a friend with building an outdoor kitchen, and couldn't come with her. The nurse hadn't mentioned she was in the navy, but now it was making sense to Maggie, she did know that his sons XO was a woman he mentioned her in some of his emails but hadn't thought they could be the same person.

Having a son in the navy for 20 years had taught Maggie a thing or two about regulations and she now knew there was no relationship, her son wouldn't be that stupid. But she did know that staying all night next to a mans hospital bed could only mean there were feelings involved and professionally at least her son thought well of this Kate.

She still wanted a wedding and grandchildren so needed to find out more about the situation and Kate before she gave up all hope of Mike ever finding someone. Kate's house was bare of any photos, it was clean and neat, and tastefully decorated but could have been anyone's. She was back in the kitchen there was a pile if post on the table that Kate had picked up on the way in and placed there, as the shower was running she snuck a look. There were only bills and menus for the local takeaway places, but they were only in her name which meant she lived alone. There was an phone on the counter with an address book beside it, Maggie decided she had time for a quick flip through. This payed off when she saw her sons name, there were two entry's, one crossed out but was still legible, it was his address and phone number from just before he moved to Cairns. She had thought it odd at the time that her son had also changed his mobile number, but he had told her he wanted a fresh start, her husband had thought it was a over a girl but he hadn't wanted to pry.

The address book didn't have very many names, and most were only email addresses, so she assumed they were navy colleagues who moved a lot. Folded in the address book was a page with the names and address of the crew. And she was putting it all back in place when the bedroom door opened, and she was casually sipping her tea when Kate came back in the room.

They were back on the road and chatting about the weather and when the next patrol was for Kate. The conversation flowed and they discovered similar taste in movies and were swapping book recommendations. As they reached the park talk turned to the past and Kate found herself answering questions about her childhood, she didn't normally share this with anyone but Maggie somehow asked in a way that made her answer. It wasn't an interrogation and Kate found herself hearing a lot of stories of Mike as a child and even after he joined the navy.

They had been walking for almost an hour when Kate's phone rang, she checked the id and seeing it was Mike calling answered on speaker. He was worried about the fact that his mother wasn't back yet and had seen her car still on the drive and wanted to know what was going on, he was ranting a little and not letting Kate get a word in so Maggie was the one to interrupt him explain they had run into each other in the drive and decided to go for a walk together and that they would be home soon. There was silence at the other end as Mike had yet to respond and Maggie was done talking and was walking in the direction on the car Kate chose to hang up.

After Kate caught up with Maggie she turned and asked "what happened when he was hurt? I know he was on patrol and was injured by shrapnel but he didn't say much more than that"

"Maggie I think you need to talk to Mike about that" it was scary how easily he had become Mike in he head again, after all the time she spent turning him into Leutenant Commander Flynn.

"No, he sugar coats these things, has done since he was seven and broke his arm falling out of a tree. He didn't tell me his arm hurt, it was four days before he gave up and told me. Anyway you were there too and your here now so please tell me" Maggie looked up at Kate and she could really see the resemblance now, especially in the eyes and just couldn't deny her.

The explanation started with how Mike went to rescue the SAS team, her own relationship with Jim. The problems they had faced from the rebels, Charges stabbing, the Hammersley take over and even the job offer from Walsman and that Mike had seriously considered it before he thought he was involved in it all. The whole story came out and they had stopped at a bench near the car and by the end Kate was being hugged by Maggie while she tried to fight off tears.

Maggie now knew for sure this woman loved her son, and while they had only know each other for about three hours she had come to care for this strong smart woman, and just hoped her son knew what he was doing.

When they pulled apart Maggie thanked her, and then in a complete change of subject asked "where is the best place to get Chinese takeaway?"


End file.
